HALIDE GLASS COMPOSITIONS

摘要

This invention relates to halide glasses which have particular utility as hosts for rare earth elements in order to provide optical amplification by laser activity. The glasses are characterized in that the metal content is similar to conventional ZBLAN glasses except that it has been discovered that the replacement of Al by Y and In and the use of more than one alkali metal fluoride, e.g. NaF, CsF and LiF, has synergistic benefits. The Synergistic benefits are good lasing performance (due to the low content of aluminium) and good stability in spite of the low content of aluminium. Pr<3+> constitutes a good lasing species for amplifying telecommunication signals at 1300 nm using pump radiation at 1020 nm.